MiG-29: Updates & Discussions

The Indian Air Force will start inducting the first batch of its upgraded MiG-29 fighters by the year-end, packing a much-needed punch for its depleting combat capabilities. Russian fighter manufacturer RAC MiG is equipping the fighter with new avionics, weapons, radar, glass cockpit and

helmet mounted displays to make it a more potent platform. The upgrade involves overhauling the fighter’s airframe and installing an in-flight refueling system to expand its range.

India and Russia signed a $1 billion (Rs 4,500 crore) contract in 2008 to modernise the IAF’s fleet of 63 MiG-29 fighters. The modernisation of the first three MiG-29s has been completed in Russia and these would join the air force fleet by November-December. These fighters had arrived in Russia two years back.

Mikhail T Globenko, RAC MiG’s director for marketing and sales, told HT at the MAKS 2011 airshow outside Moscow that focus of the upgrade was to convert the MiG-29 into a multi-role fighter, capable of undertaking different combat missions with the flip of a switch.

The fighter, inducted in the IAF in the late 1980s and early 1990s, was originally designed as an air superiority fighter. Globenko said, “The upgraded MiG-29s have been equipped with air-to-surface missiles to engage ground targets.”

Russia will upgrade around 10 MiG-29 fighters, while the remaining will be modernised by the IAF. The upgrade programme is crucial for the IAF that has been hamstrung by deteriorating combat potential — it only has 34 fighter squadrons compared to the sanctioned 39 and half.

Main upgrades consists the Zhuk-ME pulse-Doppler airbone radar, along with revised IRST systems, helmet-mounted target designation system and electronic countermeasures. New radar capable of detecting air targets at ranges up to 120 km, track-while-scan of ten targets and attack of four targets at a time. In scanning surface targets, the radar detection range of destroyer-type targets is 250 km and that of missile launcher-type targets is 150 km. Hence beyond visual range (BVR) engage is greatly enhanced.

Indian Air Force all MiG-29s will be upgraded to MiG-29SMT level with latest avionics, engine, Zhuk-ME radar, weapon control systems by 2013

The MiG-29s are being upgraded to UPG standards (which is itself an updated SMT project). They're set to get the newer Zhuk-ME, as people have mentioned before. This will improve their performance with the R-77. They might also have a longer range than the MiG-29Ks because of the dorsal tank in addition to inflight refueling capacities. Newer EW systems are being incorporated (Israeli, I think). There was also talk of fitting them with RD-33MKs (non-TVC versions), which are currently on MiG-29Ks. As always, French, Israeli, and Indian subsystems are also being used. No idea about whether the IR sensors are being changed, whether an updated HMDS is being incorporated or not.

In all, more subsystems from the MiG-35 made it into the MiG-29Ks, so the MiG-29K will be more advanced than the IAF's MiG-29UPGs.

Just a quick note: The UPG programme is different from the SMT programme for two reasons:

1) It is a decade newer, featuring upgraded project goals and technology used.
2) It is applicable to first generation MiG-29s: the SMT programme was specifically for MiG-29s produced in the late '80s/early '90s.

The Indian Air Force will start inducting the first batch of its upgraded MiG-29 fighters by the year-end, packing a much-needed punch for its depleting combat capabilities. Russian fighter manufacturer RAC MiG is equipping the fighter with new avionics, weapons, radar, glass cockpit and
helmet mounted displays to make it a more potent platform. The upgrade involves overhauling the fighter’s airframe and installing an in-flight refueling system to expand its range.

India and Russia signed a $1 billion (Rs 4,500 crore) contract in 2008 to modernise the IAF’s fleet of 63 MiG-29 fighters. The modernisation of the first three MiG-29s has been completed in Russia and these would join the air force fleet by November-December. These fighters had arrived in Russia two years back.

Mikhail T Globenko, RAC MiG’s director for marketing and sales, told HT at the MAKS 2011 airshow outside Moscow that focus of the upgrade was to convert the MiG-29 into a multi-role fighter, capable of undertaking different combat missions with the flip of a switch.

The fighter, inducted in the IAF in the late 1980s and early 1990s, was originally designed as an air superiority fighter. Globenko said, “The upgraded MiG-29s have been equipped with air-to-surface missiles to engage ground targets.”

Russia will upgrade around 10 MiG-29 fighters, while the remaining will be modernised by the IAF. The upgrade programme is crucial for the IAF that has been hamstrung by deteriorating combat potential --- it only has 34 fighter squadrons compared to the sanctioned 39 and half.

The MiG-29s are being upgraded to UPG standards (which is itself an updated SMT project). They're set to get the newer Zhuk-ME, as people have mentioned before. This will improve their performance with the R-77. They might also have a longer range than the MiG-29Ks because of the dorsal tank in addition to inflight refueling capacities. Newer EW systems are being incorporated (Israeli, I think). There was also talk of fitting them with RD-33MKs (non-TVC versions), which are currently on MiG-29Ks. As always, French, Israeli, and Indian subsystems are also being used. No idea about whether the IR sensors are being changed, whether an updated HMDS is being incorporated or not.

In all, more subsystems from the MiG-35 made it into the MiG-29Ks, so the MiG-29K will be more advanced than the IAF's MiG-29UPGs.

Click to expand...

"Russian Aircraft Corporation, MiG (RSK-MiG), has chosen Thales to provide the IFF-1 Combined Interrogator Transponder (CIT) and Cryptographic National Secure Mode (NSM) as part of the retrofit for the Indian Air Force's MiG-29 multi-role fighter aircraft," a press release from the French firm said here Thursday. Thales will supply the IAF's MiG-29 fighter aircraft with 'TOTEM-3000' new generation Inertial Navigation and Global Positioning System.

About the HMDS, the Ks will get the TopSight-E while the UPGs will get the TopSight-I along with the MKIs.

^^^ Considering the M2K upgrades, which will also likely feature Topsight (unless you can't integrate ASRAAMs with it, which I think is highly unlikely), the Su-30MKI upgrade, and the existing TopSights in the Naval Air Arm's MiG-29Ks, it seems like TopSight is fast becoming the standard HMS&D.

And all they had to say for the MiG-29B upgrade programme was this:

Shch-3UM-1. Still the Shchel-3UM.
Although Sengupta claimed that the HMDS issue wasn't fully sorted out yet, and ultimately might feature the Topsight system too.

The Indian Air Force will start inducting the first batch of its upgraded MiG-29 fighters by the year-end, packing a much-needed punch for its depleting combat capabilities. Russian fighter manufacturer RAC MiG is equipping the fighter with new avionics, weapons, radar, glass cockpit and helmet mounted displays to make it a more potent platform. The upgrade involves overhauling the fighter’s airframe and installing an in-flight refueling system to expand its range.

India and Russia signed a $1 billion (Rs 4,500 crore) contract in 2008 to modernise the IAF’s fleet of 63 MiG-29 fighters. The modernisation of the first three MiG-29s has been completed in Russia and these would join the air force fleet by November-December. These fighters had arrived in Russia two years back.

Mikhail T Globenko, RAC MiG’s director for marketing and sales, told HT at the MAKS 2011 airshow outside Moscow that focus of the upgrade was to convert the MiG-29 into a multi-role fighter, capable of undertaking different combat missions with the flip of a switch.

The fighter, inducted in the IAF in the late 1980s and early 1990s, was originally designed as an air superiority fighter. Globenko said, “The upgraded MiG-29s have been equipped with air-to-surface missiles to engage ground targets.”

Russia will upgrade around 10 MiG-29 fighters, while the remaining will be modernised by the IAF. The upgrade programme is crucial for the IAF that has been hamstrung by deteriorating combat potential — it only has 34 fighter squadrons compared to the sanctioned 39 and half.